Cylinder head for internal combustion engine

Abstract

A cylinder head arrangement for an internal combustion engine, having a combustion chamber portion for defining a combustion chamber above a cylinder in which a piston is reciprocable; two inlet valves lying substantially to one side of the combustion chamber portion, and two exhaust valves lying substantially to the other side of the combustion chamber portion; and a fuel injector disposed in an edge region of the combustion chamber portion at the exhaust valve side thereof, and arranged to inject fuel generally across the combustion chamber portion towards the inlet valve side thereof.

1 . A cylinder head arrangement for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
 a combustion chamber portion for defining a combustion chamber above cylinder in which a piston is reciprocable;   two inlet valves lie substantially to one side of the combustion chamber portion, and two exhaust valves lie substantially to the other side of the combustion chamber portion; and   a fuel injector disposed in an edge region of the combustion chamber portion at the exhaust valve side thereof, and arranged to inject fuel generally across the combustion chamber portion towards the inlet valve side thereof.   
     
     
         2 . A cylinder head arrangement according to  claim 1  comprising a spark plug disposed in a region of the combustion chamber portion bounded by the inlet and exhaust valves. 
     
     
         3 . A cylinder head arrangement according to  claim 2  wherein the fuel injector is inclined to direct fuel towards the cylinder beneath the combustion chamber. 
     
     
         4 . A cylinder head for an internal combustion engine, comprising at least one combustion chamber portion for defining a respective combustion chamber above a respective cylinder in which a piston is reciprocable;
 each combustion chamber portion having associated therewith two inlet valve seatings for co-operation with the heads of respective inlet valves, for controlling fluid flow through respective inlet passages, and two exhaust valve seatings for co-operating with head portions of respective exhaust valves for controlling flow of fluid through respective exhaust passages;   wherein, as viewed in the direction of piston reciprocation, the inlet valve seatings lie substantially to one side of the combustion chamber portion and the exhaust valve seatings lie substantially to the other side of the combustion chamber portion;   and a formation for receiving a fuel injector for injecting fuel into the combustion chamber portion;   wherein the formation for receiving the fuel injector is disposed in an edge region of the combustion chamber portion at the side thereof occupied by the exhaust valve seatings, for a fuel injector arranged for injecting fuel across the combustion chamber portion towards the side thereof having the inlet valve seatings.   
     
     
         5 . A cylinder head according to  claim 4  wherein, as viewed in the direction of piston reciprocation, the fuel injector —receiving formation faces generally diametrally across the cylinder. 
     
     
         6 . A cylinder head according to  claim 4  wherein the fuel injector is inclined so as to direct fuel towards an upper region of the cylinder beneath the combustion chamber portion. 
     
     
         7 . A cylinder head according to  claim 4  wherein the formation receiving the fuel injector opens into the combustion chamber portion in a region generally bounded by the exhaust valve seatings and an adjacent edge of the combustion chamber portion. 
     
     
         8 . A cylinder head according to  claim 4 , comprising a formation for receiving a spark plug in a central region of the combustion chamber portion bounded by the inlet and exhaust valve seatings. 
     
     
         9 . A cylinder head according to  claim 4  comprising passages for flow of cooling fluid in the cylinder head including portions adjacent the formation for supporting the fuel injector. 
     
     
         10 . An internal combustion engine having a cylinder head comprising at least one combustion chamber portion defining a respective combustion chamber above a respective cylinder in which a piston is reciprocable; each combustion chamber portion having associated therewith two inlet valves having heads co-operating with respective inlet valve seatings for controlling fluid flow through respective inlet passages, and two exhaust valves having heads co-operating with respective exhaust valve seatings for controlling flow of fluid through respective exhaust passages;
 wherein, as viewed in the direction of piston reciprocation, the inlet valve seatings lie substantially to one side of the combustion chamber portion and the exhaust valve seatings lie substantially to the other side of the combustion chamber portion;   and a fuel injector received in the cylinder head for injecting fuel into the combustion chamber portion;   wherein the fuel injector is disposed in an edge region of the combustion chamber portion at the side thereof occupied by the exhaust valve seatings, and is arranged to inject fuel across the combustion chamber portion towards the side thereof having the inlet valve seating.   
     
     
         11 . An internal combustion engine according to  claim 10  wherein the fuel injector injects fuel generally diametrically across the cylinder. 
     
     
         12 . An internal combustion engine according to  claim 11  wherein the fuel injector is inclined to direct fuel towards an upper region of the cylinder beneath the combustion chamber portion. 
     
     
         13 . An internal combustion engine according to  claim 10  wherein the fuel injector occupies a region of the combustion chamber portion generally bounded by the exhaust valve seatings and an adjacent edge of the combustion chamber portion. 
     
     
         14 . An internal combustion engine according to  claim 10  comprising a spark plug in a central region of the combustion chamber portion bounded by the inlet and exhaust valve seatings. 
     
     
         15 . an internal combustion engine according to  claim 10  comprising exhaust pipage extending from the exhaust passages in the cylinder head, and further comprising a heat shield between the fuel injector and the exhaust pipage.